Let’s face it:
Choosing a reliable precious metal dealer is a huge decision. You need to be sure that you’re only dealing with trustworthy companies because it’s your money that’s on the line.
If you’ve been considering buying gold or silver from SD Bullion, you might be wondering if you’ll be dealing with a real company.
So, is SD Bullion a reliable website? Is SD Bullion legit or a scam?
And that’s exactly what we’re going to answer here today.
We’ll discuss the following:
- Years in business
- The kind of products they offer
- How they treat their customers
- Lots more
Without further ado, let’s get started with our SD Bullion review.
Credentials
There’s no better way to check the legitimacy of a company than checking its licenses and registrations.
A quick Google search will show you that:
1) SD Bullion is a registered member of the Better Business Bureau.
2) It has acquired the trademark “SD Bullion,” and has the legal right to use the name.
3) The company has a CrunchBase account that shows it is currently based in Ottawa Lake, Michigan with approximately 11 to 50 employees.
4) They have a LinkedIn account that shows they have 41 employees, which conforms to the information on CrunchBase.
On their website, they don’t have any information about their registration and licenses.
However, they are proud to be members of several review sites (we’ll get to them in the section).
As well as some awards:
- Ranked #96 Online Retailer in 2023 by Digital Commerce 360
- Made Inc Magazines List of 5000 fastest growing companies four separate times; including 177th in 2017.
The real question is: Are these enough to prove that you can trust them with your money?
At this stage, it’s still too early to tell.
So let’s move on to customer reviews and see what real and verified customers say about them.
SD Bullion Reviews and Reputation
Although we do a pretty thorough research for our review, it’s not enough to show what it’s like to do business with them.
So…
- Is SD Bullion reputable?
- Are there any SD Bullion complaints?
Let’s give the floor to the real and verified customers and SD Bullion ratings.
This precious metals dealer has been accredited with the Better Business Bureau since April 2014 with an A+ rating.
It also has a rating of 4.81 out of 5 stars, based on 1,112 reviews.
They have closed 126 complaints in the last 3 years and 54 complaints in the last 12 months.
The most common complaints are about the order process, product condition, and refund problems.
On Trustpilot, the company holds a rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars from 2,283 reviews. The negative reviews on this platform echo the same concerns as those raised in the BB complaints.
They’re also Shopper Approved, holding a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars from 125,540 reviews.
Although there’s a disparity in the number of reviews across these platforms, the volume of customer feedback indicates that the company has engaged with genuine customers.
But of course, we’ll look at the other facts.
Years in Business
Another way to check if a precious metal dealer is trustworthy is by looking at the years they have been active in the industry.
Relatively new companies can be a cause for concern, especially if there’s scant information about them online.
Whereas more established companies typically have a track record that can attest to their business’s legitimacy.
SD Bullion has been in the business since March 1, 2012, which means that they have been operating for over a decade now.
Just like we mentioned in our Bullion Exchanges review, when you’re in the industry for that long, it’s usually good news.
Physical Presence
When buying gold or any other precious metal, it’s definitely a plus if you can see them personally before making such a huge purchase.
So, does SD Bullion have a physical store?
Unfortunately, there is no information regarding this.
Even on their website, they don’t have any details about their office or whether you can physically check your purchases beforehand.
However, we’re able to find their headquarters, which is located in Ottawa Lake in Michigan. Apart from that, there’s not much else.
All in all, like many other dealers they operate mostly online, which is a pretty standard practice and isn’t a point of concern.
Precious Metals Quality
Let’s be honest:
While a dealer may operate a legitimate business, that alone isn’t sufficient reason to entrust them with your investment immediately.
It’s equally important to be sure that you’re receiving quality precious metals and getting good value for your money.
At SD Bullion, you have tons of metals to choose from ranging from gold coins and bars, silver coins, bars, and rounds, as well as platinum coins and bars.
On top of that, they sell coin accessories and jewelry.
So, if you only want to own precious metals for collection, you can purchase from this company.
Upon checking, these products are also IRA-approved, which means they follow the standards of the agency when it comes to the purity of the precious metals they offer.
In other words, you can use most of the precious metals they offer for your retirement account.
Note:
If you choose to buy gold and silver in an IRA, we favor Gold IRA companies that focus specifically on this type of investment. Have a look at these ones:
- Goldco (with a $25,000 minimum investment amount)
- Augusta Precious Metals (minimum $50,000 to invest)
Both of these firms are excellent in helping you diversify with gold and silver in an IRA.
Pricing and Products Transparency
It’s worth noting that prices listed on most dealers aren’t always the final price of the purchase.
That said, SD Bullion is one of them.
This is because buying precious metals comes with other fees, like state tax and shipping fees.
The same goes for opening an IRA account. It always comes with other fees apart from the price of the precious metal itself, like account opening fees, storage fees, and others.
On top of that, the company mentioned this on its site:
“SD Bullion prides itself in providing the most up-to-date pricing for you and our staff. Occasionally, we do make mistakes and there may be a typographical or pricing error. Under these rare circumstances, SD Bullion retains the right to cancel or refund an order.”
So, simply put, this provider, like many others, isn’t open with their pricing upfront, so keep that in mind when window shopping.
Pricing and Fees
Compared to market rates, the prices offered by this provider are pretty standard. They follow the correct rate, so there’s nothing to worry about.
If you’re only buying some precious metals, they offer a flat shipping rate of 9.95 per order and free shipping on orders more than $199.
For gold IRA accounts, there is limited information on fees apart from storage rates which can go as low as $9.99 per month.
But like we mentioned before, if you wish to open a gold IRA account it’s best to go either with:
(Depending on your minimum investment amount.)
Customer Service
The company operates on business hours:
Mondays to Thursdays 8:00 AM ET – 8:00 PM ET, Fridays 8:00 AM ET – 6:00 PM ET, and closes on the weekends.
You can reach them via phone and email, or through their contact form.
These hours and channels are pretty standard for precious metals dealers, but a live chat could’ve made their service better.
Return and Refund Policies
Now…
If you’re not happy with your order, SD Bullion allows you to return or exchange it within 3 business days after receipt of shipment to notify their customer service via phone or email.
Of course, you need to make sure that products are in the original packaging and original condition for them to accept the return and exchange.
You’ll also handle all the fees included with them.
If you plan on opening an IRA, it’s worth checking the company’s buy-back policy.
This program essentially means that you can sell your precious metals back to them if you wish to close your account
Even though they don’t have any information about the buy-back program, you can, however, sell any qualified precious metals to them, even those that aren’t purchased from their site.
Is SD Bullion Legit? (The Verdict)
Buying gold and silver is no doubt a daunting task.
No one wants to spend their hard-earned cash on a company that doesn’t offer quality products or, worse, one that doesn’t deliver (literally speaking too!).
So…
Is SD Bullion a scam, or is it a legitimate company?
The answer is no, they’re not a scam. And yes, they do offer legitimate business.
However, like with any other precious metals dealers, don’t dive in headfirst right away. Make sure you have all the necessary information you need, like fees and product quality.
At the same time, keep in mind the complaints and negative reviews they get.
While it’s true that customers who are unhappy with a service tend to provide more feedback than those who are happy, be sure to check if their reviews have merit.
Lastly, when it comes to Gold IRA accounts, check out Augusta Precious Metals.
They have a high minimum investment amount, but the company offers white glove treatment and goes above and beyond to help you diversify within your individual retirement account.
Not only are they transparent with fees and and other information you need to know about, but they also offer free education for those of you new to this concept.
The best part?
You get a FREE GOLD coin as a bonus when you open a Gold IRA account with them.
Now, we’d like to hear from YOU:
- Have you ever dealt with this business?
- Do you agree with this SD Bullion review and its legitimacy, or do you have a different opinion/experience?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
